


Nothing at All

by MoonOwl



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Mentions of Jean/Eren, Softball AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-10
Updated: 2014-03-10
Packaged: 2018-01-15 05:54:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1293772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonOwl/pseuds/MoonOwl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mikasa caught the ball in her glove. She held onto it in her hand for a second, hesitating just a moment. She threw whatever thought she had in her mind away with the ball. </p><p>“Something on your mind? You're a little slow today.” Annie called out. </p><p>Mikasa sighed as she concentrated on Annie's pitch back to her. “You know, you really shouldn't ask questions like that. It's really invasive.” </p><p>“Which question? I asked two of them.”</p><p>“Both.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing at All

**Author's Note:**

> I have not played softball since I was 13, so if I got something wrong, please correct me!

It was the string of the ball hitting her glove that Mikasa loved best. The second of instantaneous pain that slowly began to fade into a dull string. Everyone else who played softball loved it for the thrill of playing a game where anything can change in an instant. Not Mikasa, she loved the sting of the ball hitting the glove, the sting on her thigh when sliding into another base, the sting of the vibrations of her bat swinging against the incoming ball. 

The weather was hot, the first sticky day of the year coming early in April. Mikasa didn't feel terribly sticky though. You can't feel too hot and humid when you're playing catch with Annie Leonhardt. 

Annie Leonhardt was short, but she was strong. Her compact, muscly body body allowed her to pitch fast, hard, and straight. She could pitch strikes like no one else ever had for the Rose Country Regional High Titans. 

“You know, pitcher and catcher are slang terms for positions in gay sex.” Annie said, her tone bored and her face expressionless. 

“I hope you know I'm not interested in sex, Leonhardt.” Mikasa called back as soon as the ball hits her glove. Effortlessly, she threw it back to her partner. 

“I know, don't worry I'm not flirting. I'm just saying is all.” Her expression is unchanging as she pitches the ball underhand in a nearly straight arc. “So do you know if Eren is a pitcher or a catcher?” 

Mikasa caught the ball in her glove. She held onto it in her hand for a second, hesitating just a moment. She threw whatever thought she had in her mind away with the ball. 

“Something on your mind? You're a little slow today.” Annie called out. 

Mikasa sighed as she concentrated on Annie's pitch back to her. “You know, you really shouldn't ask questions like that. It's really invasive.” 

“Which question? I asked two of them.”

“Both.”

Mikasa knew questions like this were bound to come. Eren had a boyfriend, not just any boyfriend, but Jean Kirstein. Who, apparently used to like Mikasa. Funny how these things work out, especially considering that Jean and Eren literally could not stop bickering. Yet, in the end, Eren was head over heels for Jean. Jean, who was the junior class president, captain of the Debate Team, and the student director of the boys' a Capella group. Not that Mikasa was jealous, of course. Mikasa was number 1 in the class, a star athlete on the softball and volleyball teams. She was good at things. Jean was good at leading things. Besides, Eren was her brother, even if she was adopted. Nothing to worry about.

Nothing at all. 

Mikasa caught the ball once more, not even flinching when it hit her glove coming at her with impossible speed. She can't flinch of course, not ever. A catcher just has to accept whatever is coming her way. 

Annie looked down at the digital watch on her left wrist. “Yo, Ackerman. Let's call it a quits. It'll be late soon. You've probably got homework to do, little Miss-5-AP-Classes.”

Mikasa could have corrected her said that it was two AP classes and two IB classes, but she decided against it. She didn't particularly worry about pissing off Annie, she never did. However, today was Sunday, she was tired, and she wanted to get home. 

Mikasa soon found that Annie was quickly catching up to her in their walk towards the bench that held their bags. Annie's messy blonde bun bobbed in motion with her quick stride. It was then that Mikasa realized just how small Annie was, nearly seven inches below her. It was strange to think that someone who could be so biting, so intimidating, could be so petite. 

Mikasa picked up her bag from the bench and spun around to find Annie reaching her hand up to her face.

“You don't mind, do you?” Annie asked. 

Mikasa shook her head. Touching she was fine with, if one asked of course. 

“Your hair is pretty, you know. You should grow it out a little. So you can pull out of your face.”

“I don't let others define how I should look.” Mikasa replied. 

(She didn't pull away from her touch though.)

“I remember that you cut your hair in 7th grade because Eren told you too.”

Mikasa glared down at Annie. She swatted at her hand. “I don't know why you need to bring up things like that.”

“I don't know why you need to follow everything Eren does.”

“What are you going on about? What does this have to do with anything?”

“Oh come on, it has to do with everything. You hardly ever worry about yourself, it's always always always about Eren. I get it, he's your brother, but he's not everything in the world.”

Mikasa stared back at Annie, her eyes now glaring with added intensity, and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of hurt. 

“You know you're good at this, right? You're a fucking fantastic catcher. You're sharp, you're quick, but you can't be either of those things if you're thinking about Eren all the time. We have a good team, but we could have great team if you pulled your head out of the clouds.”

“You're being awfully moralistic about this. You're not really one for being a team player.” Mikasa rasped. She's not so sure if her voice is angry or weak. 

“I'm not being moralistic about this, your whole life is being moralistic.” Annie ran her hands through her pulled back hair, letting strands of it loose. “You think you're on some high horse because you care about a family member, well congrats, you're letting it affect how you catch. This isn't just today, this has been everyday.”

Defensively, Mikasa crossed her arms. “Well, I'm sorry I'm not as selfish as you are.”

“I'm hell fucking selfish, but I am not as selfish as you are right now. You act like you care so much about Eren and how you want him safe for 'his sake'. He's got a fucking boyfriend and he's happy about something that has nothing to do with you and you can't handle that, because you're the selfish one.” Crossing her arms, Annie bit down hard on her lower lip. “You know what, I like you a lot. But I don't get that interfere with how I play the game. I still put the game first. You know I don't believe in that everyone-gets-a-trophy-crap. I hate how people say 'it doesn't matter as long as you had fun'. I want our team to win, even if I think that teamwork thing can be a load of bullshit half the time.” 

Mikasa didn't respond. Simply, she stared back at Annie in the silence. 

“I hope you know I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just being blunt. Think about yourself for once Ackerman, really and truly about yourself. Not about your feelings for Eren. And if you can't do that, just think about the team.” Annie picked up her bag and started walking away.

'She's right' crossed Mikasa's brain for a second. Just a second, she assured herself. 

“Annie,” Mikasa called out. “Come back for a moment.”

Annie spun around and walked back to Mikasa, her bag slung over her shoulders. “What?”

“You said you liked me, right?” 

“Uh-huh.”

“Like, in a like-like way or--”

“God, Mikasa, are we in third grade? Yeah, I like you like that, I guess.”

“Okay,” Mikasa said. “Come closer.”

Annie did. 

Mikasa closed the gap between them. She lowered her head, watching for Annie to respond to her body language. Annie moved her lips closer to Mikasa's. Mikasa had to wonder if Annie was on the tips of her toes, but she didn't want to look away from those nearly-closed eyes and those plump, pink lips. Mikasa would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about what it would be like to kiss Annie, so she might as well try.

And try she did.

The kiss was quick, not slow and passionate like the movies make them out to be. Their lips brushed against one another, softly, almost sweetly. Honestly, it wasn't bad.

“I think,” Mikasa said as they pulled apart. “I might just...cut my hair really short. Like up to my ears. Growing it out would be pain.”

Mikasa could have sworn that she saw a faint smile grace Annie's lips. “Suit yourself.”


End file.
